


One Last First Day

by Sadbhyl



Series: Teach Us Things Worth Knowing [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-09-12
Packaged: 2017-12-26 09:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadbhyl/pseuds/Sadbhyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's another ride on the Hogwarts Express, just the same as so many years before.</p>
<p>Except it's really not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Last First Day

**Author's Note:**

> I know much of this is AU of the post-series Potter canon. I know that Rowling has it that Hermione is the only one who went back, that Harry went straight into the Aurors and Ron went to work with George.
> 
> But I didn't want to write that. Hopefully you'll forgive me the slight AU bend. In an AU.

“This might be a mistake.”

Harry sat against the window, crowded in the corner despite being one of only three people in the compartment at the moment. It hadn’t been that way their entire trip on the Hogwarts Express. Ginny had spent much of the time occupying the now empty space next to him, but she had spotted some classmates through the window and gone excitedly to catch up with them. Neville and Dean had been in and out, as had Luna and Justin Finch-Fletchly. He’d seen the Patil twins in the passage, who’d stopped to wave as they passed, and Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein and Zacharias Smith on the platform at King’s Cross. But for now, it was just he, Ron and Hermione. As it had been a seeming lifetime ago, that first trip to Hogwarts, before he knew everything that was to come.

Had come. And was now gone.

“You don’t have to, you know.” Hermione’s voice was compassionate, concerned. “You could apparate home from Hogsmeade. You know the Ministry will put you in the Auror training program right off.”

“Hell, they’d probably make you junior minister if you asked.” Ron pulled on the licorice rope between his teeth. “Or you could stay in Hogsmeade. George could use an extra pair of hands in the new shop, and then we could still see you on weekends.”

“If it comes to that, why aren’t you working for him?”

Ron shrugged, looking sheepish. “Same as you, I expect. Need to see it through.”

“Yeah.”

Hermione’s expression didn’t change. “Still, no one will think less of you for not going back.”

“No, it’s… It’s fine.” Harry smiled at her, but he could tell it was weak. “I need to make up the work if I’m going to do well as an Auror.” He sighed. “I just wish one of the classes I needed to finish wasn’t Potions.”

Ron swallowed the licorice he was chewing before speaking. “Dad said Slughorn retired again. I wonder who the new teacher is.”

“And they’ll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,” Hermione observed.

“Again.” Ron added.

Harry snorted softly. “Well, hopefully this one should have better luck than the last dozen or so.”

Hermione went on. “And I heard from Professor McGonagall that Trelawney’s retired to a cottage down on the lake, and she’s not recruiting a new Divination teacher.”

That perked Harry’s curiosity. “What about Firenze?”

“His tribe took him back after the war.” Ron fished out another licorice rope, red this time. “Had to, after he’d fought for them during the battle, didn’t they?”

Harry sighed. “We aren’t going to know anyone.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Harry, of course we will. Professor Flitwick and McGonagall are still there, and Professors Sinestra and Hootch.”

“Don’t forget Binns,” Ron added.

Harry and Hermione both groaned.

“The point is, there are still loads of teachers we’ll know, and plenty of students, even though we missed last year. We’ve had teachers change before. This is no different.”

He looked her in the eye. “Except it is.”

She looked momentarily fierce. “Yes, it is. For a change you won’t spend the whole year with Voldemort trying to kill you.”

“Or Draco Malfoy,” Ron chipped in happily.

“The whole family can scarcely show their face outside that dreadful house of theirs after helping you and then sneaking away the way they did.”

Harry traced the seam on his jeans with his fingertips. “Are any of the Slytherins coming back?”

“I saw Tracey Davis and Sally Anne Perks huddled together on the platform,” Hermione answered, looking almost sorry for them. “And Dean said he saw Graham Montague in the gents, but he must be keeping pretty much to himself.”

“That’s not many.”

“Well, most of the rest were sympathetic to the Death Eaters, weren’t they? All of Draco’s friends, at least.”

Ron slouched further down in his seat. “Fewer of them to find beds for, then. Speaking of which, where are we going to be? The first years will get our old rooms, won’t they?”

Hermione shook her heat. “Not for you. Since most of the boys in your year are coming back, you’re keeping your room, and they’re going to crowd the first years in with the other years, one a piece. Parvati and I are the only girls coming back, so we’re going in with the sixth and seventh years.”

“Well, that’s not so bad, is it? You’re used to rooming with Ginny. Good job it’s not us, though. Can you imagine having to share a room with that toe rag Creevey, falling all over Harry all the time?”

“Ron!” Hermione hissed, her eyes darting from Ron to Harry and back. “Colin Creevey died in the last battle,” she went on, hushed, as though uncertain whether or not she wanted Harry to hear her.

“Bugger.” Ron slunk upright in his seat again. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

Harry remembered Colin. Naïve and so excited his first year, taking pictures of everyone (but especially Harry, as often as he could). How his hero worship was only increased by being petrified by the basilisk Harry would eventually defeat. He’d worked so hard in the DA, struggling to master spells that were just a bit beyond him, but always willing to try. He would have been up to take his O.W.L.s the year Dumbledore died. He wouldn’t have even been allowed in the school last year, as he was Muggle born. Harry wondered how he had avoided being sent to Azkaban. Of course, if he’d been in Azkaban, he’d have been safe. Would still be alive.

He sighed, sinking his chin into his hand on the windowsill. “This might be a bad idea.”

Ignoring the two of them sharing concerned looks behind him, he stared out across the heathered landscape, remembering days when this had been the best trip in the world.


End file.
